Whhhhirrrr, Clank, Clunk

In the past few weeks I have been something of an art machine cranking out piece after piece and being largely unsatisfied with it.

My fibers screen printing project here I thought looked very good but it was practically destroyed in a very schizophrenic critique. It was further evidence that whenever I like a piece everyone else hates it and when I hate it everyone else loves it. Case in point, jewelry:

These shawl pins based on trillium I wasn't really feeling. Plus I didn't think they were up to snuff for the student sale since I know every little problem with them. But, the class loved them backwards and forwards literally as they liked both sides of the piece. Still not sure as to whether to put these into the sale.

For 2D design we began by drawing an egg for homework after practicing shading spheres with no reference in class...

Then we had to draw junk from the professor's basement and our own objects separately, then cut them out and arrange them in an 11x14 rectangle...

Then we had to arrange the objects physically the way we did with the drawings...

then redraw it again and mat it for the final piece. No, I have no idea what this is suppsosed to teach me. All I know is that the only reason I can sort of draw is because of taking Drawing I my spohomore year with the difficult professor. Once again no clue and I'm bored in class working on it.

As a bonus here is my last project for 2D, a transition from a gun like object to a penguin which I some how got an A- on. I choose to believe that this qualifies me as half a Rembrandt. Now to gear up for the student sale, the texture project, and see how big a pain in the ass weaving supposedly is.

Upton has been bugged!

Quite a beaut, isn't he? perhaps this means a production run of cricket earrings... still no ideas on that front but check back soon.

Bada Bing Bada Boom.

The past week (or two?) in pictures, consisting of...

Burning pitch.

Happening late night studios.

Dyeing mishaps.

Chasing leaves.

More dyeing mishaps.

Craaazy soldering set ups.

A finished 2D project.

A finished jewelry piece.

Bored ceramics majors.

And a scenic view.

Sketch Drop, or What I Should be Doing in the Studio

And now a sketch dump, this is my tentative plan for fibers, where I have to dye a piece of cloth themed around  a season. I picked winter for no special reason and am planning to have black shibori vines/branches with a turquoise blue sky. The problem is that discharging dyes never returns the fabric back to white, and the professor likes fabric to have a massive amount of over laid pattern and dying, to the point of obliterating nice patterns you obtained on the first go. So I guess i'll just have to see how it develops on it's own...

But, while I was finishing working on this thing in my 2D Design class:

(can you spot all the craftsmanship errors I will be docked for? I can!)

An idea finally occured to me for jewlery design and here it is!

I've always wanted to do a swivel  locket since I saw one featured in a Lapidary Journal magazine, plus I did encounter an acorn on my earlier attempt to get inspired by walking through the park. The narrative portion of the project comes in with having a little tree inside the acorn when you open it up. that will be formed by  a copper wire, most likely with prongs to hold a wad of green fabric for leaves or perhaps threads.

The bail will be an oak leaf which I will probably have to shut up and patina it green, as much as I hate patinas. Thus I've already gone out and gotten spray lacquer for the occasion, to try and keep the patina from rubbing off too quickly. Currently this is my best plan to have a piece of jewelry that represents a walk in the woods, use of chasing and repousse, and a narrative all at once.

At least I'm closer to having a plan now and can finally begin work, woo.